President Barack Obama’s auto taskforce has told sceptical US politicians that the government had no plans to pump more money into carmakers General Motors and Chrysler, and said the public had a “reasonable probability” of getting its money back.

US President Barack Obama said today it was “outrageous” that Wall Street employees got more than $17bn in bonuses last year.

A five-year Government blueprint aims to protect the Irish economy from the global recession, the Taoiseach said today.

Hardline Republican opponents of a US motor trade bail-out have branded the industry a “dinosaur” whose “day of reckoning” was near.